Theatre

Tartuffe is a play for today. Though more than 350 years old, Molière’s comedy addresses subjects that are pressingly current: the spiritual neediness of the rich, the power of religious zealots to manipulate the unwary, and the slippery nature of truth. It can feel chic or impishly subversive, but in John Donnelly’s fresh version, apparently set in the present, the prevailing mood is one of farce. Denis O’Hare plays the title character, a New Age guru who has insinuated himself into the Highgate household of Kevin Doyle’s neurotic and unscrupulous Orgon. When we first see Tartuffe, he’s dispensing flowers to the audience, acting like a mystic. It’s a while before he appears again, and by the time he does so, washing himself with the contents of an ice bucket, we’re in no doubt that Orgon’s family is wildly dysfunctional. Kitty Archer as his daughter Mariane is especially confused, … [Read more...] about Tartuffe review — Pressingly current

PUBLISHED: 14:56 21 February 2019 Karen Richards The cast of Tom Gates Live, which is showing at the Bristol Hippodrome. Archant The perfect way to keep your little darlings entertained during a school holiday in winter came in the form of a lively schoolboy whose colourful hot-dog bedecked car crashed into Bristol’s Hippodrome last night (Wednesday). Tom and his best friends Derek and Norman are always in trouble at school.Based on Liz Pichon’s best-selling books, the hilarious musings of a boy who is forever in trouble were brought to life in a new stage show, Tom Gates Live.The books have captured the imagination of thousands of schoolchildren as Tom doodles and bungles his way through school and family life.The producers behind Gangsta Granny and the Horrible Histories stage shows, Birmingham Stage Company, teamed up with the acclaimed author and illustrator to create a special storyline to introduce the character to a new audience, as well … [Read more...] about Review: Tom Gates Live − Amusing musings and animations

A concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of cult TV show Queer As Folk has been cancelled after a much-loved theatre promoter died aged just 37. Carl Darcy’s hotly anticipated stage show Queer as Folk 20: Still Doin’ It Live was scheduled to take place at Manchester’s Albert Hall on Friday, but has been cancelled following the tragedy. The stage show, starring Steps singer Faye Tozer , was made to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Russell T Davies’ groundbreaking comedy series based around Manchester's gay village. Carl’s heartbroken mum and dad, Anne and Paul Darcy, have paid tribute to their son, who passed away suddenly on Saturday. They said: “While it’s incredibly raw for all of us, we had hoped that the show would still go ahead as we couldn’t think of a better way to honour him than to continue on with the show, and make it a commemoration of Carl’s life. “It would have been wonderful for as many of his friends … [Read more...] about Queer as Folk concert cancelled after death of Rochdale promoter

There's nothing subtle about the poster for Lynette Linton and Adjoa Andoh’s new production of Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Andoh, who is making history as the first black woman to play the tortured king, admits this. “It’s a brown face on the flag of St George,” she says in a break between rehearsals. “We will be performing on the night that we Brexit, or don’t Brexit, so it will be an interesting time to reflect on what the flag means and who owns it. When it’s the World Cup I always have a flag of St George hanging with the flag of Ghana. Last year, Ghana didn’t qualify so I just had the flag of St George and my daughter was horrified. I told her: ‘That’s our flag.’ Shakespeare encourages conversations like this. He writes in shades of grey, which we need at the moment when the world is so oppositional.” As well as starring in the play, Andoh is co-directing it … [Read more...] about Adjoa Andoh and Lynette Linton on their all-women-of-colour Richard II

Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie will lead the cast for the Bridge Theatre’s immersive production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream this summer. Christie will play Titania, with Oliver Chris as Oberon, David Moorst and Hammed Animashaun as Bottom in this mystical tale directed by Nicholas Hytner. Shakespeare’s comedy is brought to life by the same creative team behind the theatre’s Julius Caesar last year. The seating will wrap around the performance, while immersive tickets which allow audience members to follow the play on foot. The show will be designed by Bunny Christie, with costumes from Christina Cunningham, lighting by Bruno Poet, sound by Paul Arditti and composition by Grant Olding. The cast is completed by Paul Adeyefa, Charlotte Atkinson, Tessa Bonham Jones, Jermaine Freeman, Isis Hainsworth, Chipo Kureya, Francis Lovehall, Kevin McMonagle, Ami Metcalf, Jamie-Rose Monk, Felicity Montagu, Lennin Nelson-McClure, Rachel Tolzman, Jay Webb … [Read more...] about Gwendoline Christie will star in A Midsummer Night’s Dream